Energy Assessment: What Energy Experts Look at

The period before winter is the best time of year to get an energy assessment on your home. This gives you a heads up on the circulation of heat inside your house and what you need to do to conserve as much of it as possible. This not only saves heat, but the precious power needed to produce it as well. Have you ever wondered how experts actually know what their data is telling them, though? It involves some high tech equipment and a whole lot of math. Here are some things you can expect them to ask for when getting as assessment.

Surveying the Building Envelope

The building envelope of your home is the separation between the inner and outer environments of the house; in other words, your walls. They serve as a protective shell from natural influences to allow climate control with the use of appliances like heaters and air conditioners. The effectiveness of the building envelope can be determined by how it contains the desired inner environment. The assessment experts will look for leaks and gaps in the structure using a thermal camera. They will mark these areas and recommend covering them up to save on heat.

Another aspect assessors will be looking at in the structure is lighting. They will analyse the placement of windows in the house and make recommendations on whether or not they need more sources of natural light.

Copies of Receipts

In order to get a better handle on your power usage habits, they may request for copies of your power bills. This allows them to determine which services you use most frequently, and in what times of the year. They will note any unusual activities noticed on the bill receipts by making recommendations on the power use of a certain service.

Outside Climate

Even with the building envelope, the inner conditions of the house are still wholly dependent on external forces. Seasonal climate, solar orientation, and roof overhang all play a role in how much heat or cold influence the conditions indoors. The experts will study these aspects as well, and test how much they affect your indoor lives and the energy efficiency of the house.

In order to get a better idea on where you stand on the nation’s carbon footprint, you need to know to which side you’re contributing and what you should do to make it as small as possible.